Info

Community: Yes, as long as you have lots of room for them to move around. (4+ ft tank )

Lifestyle: Diurnal, active during the day.

Tank Requirements

Minimum Tank Size: 45 gallon tank

Water Temperature Range: 68 – 75 °F

Water pH Range: 6.5 – 8.5

Water Hardness Range: 6-16 dGH

Perform a 10%-25% water change weekly. If you do not have a filter in your tank, do a water change twice a week.

A tank of 4 ft long or longer is recommended for a goldfish as some may reach up to a length of 12 inches. It is said that “they only grow to the size of their tank.” But that is not true! They will most likely become stunted and not live as long when kept in small tanks, which is why it is important that the tank you choose for your gold-fish is long and big enough to keep it happy and growing normally.

Lighting/Hood

A hood is recommended as it aids in helping your fish stay in the tank. Also, the hood keeps debris or dust from falling into the tank.

For Lighting: Full spectrum lighting – T5 is recommended.

Filter

Every fish and tank is different, so it is important to know what you’re dealing with. Some fish love a lot of current and others love no current at all like bettas. Some fish tanks are tiny and some are huge. Knowing what you have, or what you are going to have will help aid you in deciding which filter to go with. Check this article here to select which filter you should go with.

Decor

Silk plants, live plants, and decorative ornaments may be put into a goldfish’s tank. If choosing to use live plants, be aware that goldfish love to eat plants and may destroy your plants in doing so. Some goldfish keepers buy inexpensive floating plants (i.e. Anacharis) just for this purpose. If choosing to use fake plants, try to use mainly silk fake plants which are smoother for the fish’s skin. Some fake plants are very rough and can scrape the sides of your fish’s skin if rubbed the wrong way. This is just something to take into consideration when going plant shopping. Hides really aren’t needed in a goldfish’s enclosure.

Feeding/Diet

Their diet consists of goldfish flakes or pellets. As a treat you might also like to offer some frozen squashed peas, silkworms, or bloodworms. If feeding frozen foods, make sure to thaw the food before feeding it to your goldfish.

Substrate

Goldfish are known to eat and poop 24/7, so you will want to go with something that is easy to clean and is safe for your goldfish. Most people prefer to use sand rather than gravel due to the impaction gravel may cause if ingested. However, if you choose to use gravel, make sure to use very fine gravel that will not harm your goldfish if ingested. River stones are another option you may choose to go with due to the fact that river stones are bigger than the goldfish’s mouth so therefore can not be ingested. But have in mind, cleaning will be a lot harder since you will have to manually pick up each river stone to clean the bottom of the tank.

Note: The information on this goldfish care sheet is not a substitute for emergency care.